Here’s why your thirties are the new twenties

By Moran Sapir, Jul 31, 2018

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People used to dread turning thirty. For some, it was a day to blackout on their calendars. Turning thirty used to be seen as a sign that you were on the steep decline into middle age, unable to have any more fun and always having to be responsible in your life. Well, being thirty isn’t what it used to be, and there are signs that your thirties are actually the new twenties.

Your twenties

You twenties were typically seen as the time you could go out and enjoy your life before turning 30 and becoming a sensible member of society. For most, that decade in their twenties meant they could say yes to everything, without having to fear the consequences. You could party all night, wake up in the morning and start all over again. Is there something that switches when you turn thirty then that prevents people from still having any fun? Not anymore.

People are settling down much later in life

Social conventions are ever-changing, and what was once the norm for previous generations is no longer the case for many of us nowadays. One thing people used to do in past generations was to settle down much earlier in life than is typical now. In years gone by it was common for young couples to marry before even getting into their twenties, often meaning they would then start a family. By the time they were thirty they might have had a couple of kids and had been trying to save money to move to a bigger house.

People now are less likely to settle down at such young ages, preferring to travel the world, study, and learn what they really want from life before even deciding if settling down is something they want to do. Out thirties are pretty much an extension of our twenties, and many people continue trying to find themselves long into their thirties.

We are living longer

People live much longer than they used to. Before, being in your thirties practically made you middle-aged, but thanks to advances in medicine and people, in general, trying to be healthier, it seems as though many of us are living longer. You can still get away with doing much of the fun stuff you would typically expect a person in their twenties to do and it’s still socially acceptable. In fact, you can have an even better time in your thirties as you should have learned from some of the silly mistakes you might have made during your twenties; helping you to avoid the bad times but keep the good times rolling in.

More money to have fun

People have much more disposable income than they used to, and couple that with living life with fewer responsibilities in our thirties, then plenty of people 30 and over are able to have way more fun than previous generations were ever able to. Now in our thirties we can have our own homes, travel the world and still have plenty of fun on a regular basis with our friends. Getting to thirty isn’t the scary thing it once was, and now it’s just an excuse for another huge party as you continue having a load of fun you were already having in your twenties.

“30 is the new 20,” is something people used to say who were nervously approaching their thirties. Now they are less nervous about turning thirty as it no longer means you are over the hill and heading to middle age at a rapid pace. People in their thirties are having just as much fun as those in their twenties, without the embarrassing regrets 20-year-old have. Are your thirties the new twenties? They are if you want them to be.